Message from the President
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DermNewsletter of the American OsteopathicLine College of Dermatology Winter 2015/16 Vol. 31, No. 3 Message from the President Greetings from Houston, Texas! As President of the AOCD, I welcome you to another edition of DermLine. I want to express my appreciation to Dr. Rick Lin, our Immediate Past President for his tireless efforts on behalf of the College. His friendship and his willingness to continue participating in a meaningful way will only make this year successful. I appreciated our time together in Orlando on a number of different levels. First, the friendships that continue and the opportunity to develop new friendships and relationships are vital to our personal growth and development. Secondly, hearing new ways of doing things, discussing similar challenges, and hearing solutions to many old challenges was powerful. Finally, I believe there are no words to describe how special Orlando was personally to me. The attendees were so very caring! There is, inherent in this great organization, a camaraderie blended with the desire to help others. The kindnesses shown to me during this conference will linger long in my memory. The year 2016 is upon us. It seems only yesterday I was entering the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City followed by my internship and residency; these are now but distant memories. Soon another cycle will pass. New, excited doctors will emerge and enter residencies in dermatology. As director of the South Texas Dermatology Residency Program in Houston, I have borne witness to fine physicians honing their skills and expanding their knowledge in anticipation of launching their medical careers. We need to be mindful that the future of our organization rests squarely upon the shoulders of these new physicians we train. It is to the great benefit of the AOCD that we serve not only as mentors, but remain active in their development in both practice and science. Our future residents and fellows will find an exciting new development awaits them. The AOA, along with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, have agreed to a single accreditation system for graduate medical education programs in the United States. When the new system is fully implemented in July of 2020, the graduates of osteopathic and allopathic medical schools will complete their residency and/or fellowship education in ACGME-accredited programs and demonstrate achievement of common milestones and competencies. No longer will there be a great divide in the practical training of DOs and MDs. Clearly our world is changing! I suppose the greatest morsel I could share with you comes from one of my mentors, “Today, at this moment, we are living in yesterday’s future.” The changes in our practice of dermatology and medicine in general are profound. We spend great swaths of time dealing with electronic medical records and ICD 10. My challenge to you is to pause and remember why you chose medicine, and particularly, why you felt dermatology was to be your specialty. Then use that memory to ensure you look at your patients through that lens tinted with that memory. While we must tend to the busyness In this issue... of EMRs, we must not forget our patients. 2015 Fall Meeting Highlights and Notes I look forward to serving you and the opportunity to meet all of ...pages 6-23 you as you attend our meetings. Foundation for Osteopathic Dermatology Alpesh Desai, DO, FAOCD Update...pages 24-25 President, American Osteopathic College of Dermatology AOCD Thanks 2015 Fall Meeting Sponsors and Exhibitors...pages 26-27 Message from the Past President It has been an amazing seven-year journey. It was approximately seven years ago when I was first elected a Trustee of the AOCD Board of Trustees on a last minute floor nomination. It seemed like a good idea at the time. My practice was growing and I was looking for another challenge. Dr. Jim Young’s installation as the AOCD President had a lasting impression on me as a student member. Later, my own Program Director and role model, Dr. Bill Way, became the President. My admiration for the leaders of the College paved the way for me to aspire for a higher office beyond Trustee. I also have to confess the aspiration was not consistent throughout. After I was accepted into a residency program, a certain amount of complacency set in. After three years of being a dermatology resident, the excitement slowly started to fade. It’s mandatory to attend the Presidential Banquet, which is a long night. I remember thinking that I couldn’t wait for it to be over so I could find out where Dr. Shino Bay was going to party that night. He always seemed to know where the best parties were. Throughout my years as a Trustee and officer of the AOCD BOD, there were many discussions and disagreements among the Board members. Discussions can get heated at times, resulting in hurt feelings and bruised egos. Occasionally, the issues discussed can be very stressful. Sometimes, I didn’t even know if everything I was doing as an AOCD officer was making any difference. I was not sure if it was all worth it. During the last few years leading up to be the presidency, I gradually understood the value of what I was doing. When I attended the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Gala and the Mohs Surgery Summit on behalf of the AOCD, I met with the upper echelon of leaders within the AAD. These wonderful leaders of organized dermatology welcomed me to the table for discussions and listened to what I had to say. I realized the reason why I was being treated with respect by these amazing leaders of dermatology is not because Rick Lin is awesome. After all, I am just a country doc practicing in a border town. I was being treated with respect because of who I was representing. Because the members of this College empowered me to represent them, I was speaking with other leaders on equal terms. As the AOCD President, it was no longer just about me anymore. It was, and is, about honoring all the College leaders before me and paving the way for the leaders after me. During the past seven years, I have learned to respect the office and our College. Everything we do, whether it’s the long drawn out Board of Trustees and Business meetings or the President Celebration, it’s about paying homage to all the past and present AOCD members and leaders. It is not just a bunch of us old guys patting each other on the back. Through everyone’s dedication, there exists this institution that provided me the opportunity to become the dermatologist I am today. The AOCD has enabled me to do what I love every day and provide for my family just as it has done for countless other AOCD members. I share my thoughts on this because I would like to encourage all of our younger members and residents to always keep an appreciation and admiration for this College, and to have the aspiration to be part of the AOCD leadership. And to one day, contribute your own energy and talent for the betterment of the College. My seven-year journey to the end of this presidency, of course, has not occurred without personal sacrifice. I have traveled frequently for the AOCD, leaving my wife at home to stay with our three young daughters. I am thankful to my wife for allowing me to sacrifice some family time to fulfill my duty to the College. I also want to mention my mother. Without her, I would not have been able to achieve my dream of being a dermatologist. She has been a role model to me and has instilled in me the values and work ethic of striving to be the best that I can be. I am forever thankful to her for everything. Page 2 To round up this year, I would like to thank Marsha and the AOCD staff for a year of hard work. I also want to thank my Board members for making this a memorable year for me. There are many changes coming our way and we are sailing in uncharted water. During the next five years, the very mission and essence of the AOCD will be tested. Our relevance will be evaluated. Without careful planning and foresight, we may be deemed obsolete. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is slated to take over the AOCD’s role in graduate medical education. There are many misunderstandings, even within our membership, about the implications of this merger. Some of our members believe the merger will confer ACGME or MD board certification on us, and with that automatic AAD fellowship status. Nothing is further from the truth. The ACGME merger will leave us to be the group that is left behind. All of us with AOBD board certification now and in the future, will rely solely on the AOBD for future recertification. At this point, we are not eligible for recertification by the American Board of Dermatology. With the ACGME merger, we will likely see the AOCD become a much smaller organization in the course of the next five to 10 years. The current pipeline of 50 AOCD residents every year may not be relying on the College for continuing medical education credit IF the future osteopathic dermatology residents choose not to take the DO board examination. Consequently, the growth of the AOCD may be stunted. As an organization, we will need to re-invent ourselves and modify our vision to ensure our future survival.